Reediting of talking films



July 23, 19358 J HAMMOND, JR, 2,008,700

REEDITING OF TALKING FILMS Original Filed May 12, 1950 Patented July 23, 1935 I aocsfiqo I ncsmrmo or TALKING FILMS John Hays Hammond, Jri glqllufistel", MaS S- 7 Application. May 12,1930, Serial No. 451,663

Renewed January 11, 1934 1 1 6 Claims. (o1. gag-.1003.)

The invention relates to acoustic'systems and mode particularly to an improved. methodof reediting of photographic sound records.

This invention relates more particularly to. a.

system of rerecording photographic filrnsound records in which the intensity of the second. recording is varied at the will of ail-operator.

1 The invention provides a method fortthe .re. editing of photographic film sound records. in 1 varied at will. I

The invention further provides a rerecording system for photographic sound records with in-. dependent control of the upper and lower. har

monies so as to vary the quality of the rerecorded record.

The invention also provides a method of reediting of photographic sound records inwhich the upper harmonics may be increasedat the same time that the lower harmonics are ole-l creased and vice versa. i

The invention also consists in certain new and manner of its organization may be better.under-. stood by referring tothe following description taken in I connection with the accompanying:

drawing forming a part thereof, in which 3 The single figure illustrates diagrammatically ords.

- In the following description andin'the claims parts will be identified byspecific names for. con-' venience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art.

- currentsfare-athcn amplified by the space diswill permit.

. Referring more particularly to the form oi the invention shown in the accompanying figure, a standard talking moving picture projector 50 is provided with the usual photo-electric cell 5| for-' receiving the fluctuations of light from the soundrecord of the film 52. Theconstant source of light for the sound record is denoted by ii I. The

which the quality of the reedited record can be paoity of one set is-inoreased, the capacity of the a system of rerecording photographic soundrecphoto-electric cell 5|. 7 The fluctuating current cell 5! is connected tothe primary of a trans- I former 53 the secondary of which is connected by two conductors 54 and 55to two filter circuits 55 and 51. The filter circuit 56, which is a' high? pass filter,allows high frequency currents to are connected to the primaries of two transformers fi l and 82'.

Thesecondaries of these transformers 6| and B2 are connected to two potentiometers 63 and MQ the movable contacts of which are movedby means of a handle 651' The potentiometers 63- and-'64 are'connccted to two filter circuits 66 and 61-, the condensers of which are variable and are controlled from a; handle 68. These condensers are soconn'ected to this handle that, as the ca-' other set is-decreased.- r

The filter circuits 56 and 51 are connected to two space discharge tubes H and 12, the output circuits of which are connected to a primary} of transformer 13. The secondary of this -trans=- former is connected toa push pull amplifier it,

which includes a transformer 15. This transformer is' conne'cted' by two conductors l6 and it to a loud speaker 18 and through switch '59 and battery 8t to a variable light source 82 which is located in a; casing 83 of a recording device. In

this "oasi-ngis mounted a moving picture film 84 which is drivenat the same speed as the filminthe-projector 50by a shaft 85 which connects-the" two mechanisms together. In front of the lamp 82 is alens 86 which focuses the light from the lamp-82 through an aperture 81 upon the sound track or the film 84. v

- In the operation of the form of the invention shown in the accompanying figure, the moving picture projector Sa is operated in the usual man- I161,S110Wing th8 picture on a suitable screen (not shown) and causing the fluctuation of light through the sound track to be received by the from this cell then passes throughthe transformer 53 and to the filter circuits 56 and 51, thc 'formor' allowlngthe higher frequencies to pass and the'latter. the lower frequencies. These charge tubes. 58- and 59;:from which they pass through.:.thetransformers Gland E2 to the potentiometersfifl and 64". Here any desired proportion ofthe energy may be passed depending upon; thesetting' oi the handle 65.

1 They energy from the potentiometers 63 and t4 thenpasscs through the filters 66 and 61. These;

r normallyin-such a p sition hat the frequencies passing through these filters are unat tered and, therefore, the relative intensities of the treble and bass harmonics are the same as thoseintheoriginal music. If, however,- the handle filisehifted in one direction, it Will, ins.

decreased. If the handle 68 is moved in the opposite direction, the capacities in the circuit 66 will be decreased and those in the circuit 61 increased, thereby making thetreble harmonics richer and cutting down on the bass harmonics.

The energy from the circuits 66 and 61 is then amplified by the space discharge tubes H and 12 from which it is fed to the push pull amplifier 14 where it is still more amplified and fed to the loud speaker 18 and variable light source 82. The light from this source is focused upon the sensitized sound track of thejfilm 84 so that on this track is reproduced the sounds on the original film in the projector 50, but the intensity of these sounds has been increased or decreased by the manipulation of a handle 65 and the relative intensities of the treble and bass harmonics has been changed by manipulating the handle 68.

It is thus seen that a sound record is produced on the film 84 through an editing process which permits the operator to change the total volume and also the relative brilliance of the bass and treble as desired. In this way it is possible to produce a much finer sound record than can be produced by the usual method, as the invention makes it possible to alter the original record and correct for any errors which were made at the time it was recorded. 7

After the sound record has been made on the film 84, the picture record may be printed upon this film, this record being identical with that of the film 52 in the projector 50. Great care should be exercised in making this record that it be placed in the proper relative position with regard to the sound track. This can readily be accomplished, however, by making suitable markings on the films at the time the record is started. The loud speaker 18 is used so that the operator can hearthe results of the changes he is making in the record, and in that way manipulate the handles so as to produce the best efiects. It will be understood that, ifdesired, the sound record on film-52 may be played first with the switch 19 open so the operator can find out how the film sounds before making the final sound record.

Although only one form in which this invention may be embodied has been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific constructionbut might be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a re-editing system, a primary sound record having an imperfect selection recorded thereon, a pick-up device for said'sound record, a secondary sound record for recording the selection from said primary sound record in improved condition, a recorder for said secondary sound record, means between saidrecorder and said pick-up device for dividing the notes for separate treatment into upper and lower ranges with respect to a given dividing pointand devices for treating separately each range simultaneously with the other to vary the relation between the higher and lower pitch notes in that range.

2. In a re-editing system,-a primary sound record having an imperfect selection recorded thereon, a pick-up device forsaid sound record, a secondary sound record for recording the selection from said primary sound record in improved condition, a recorder for said secondary sound record, means between said recorder and said pickup device for dividing the sound tones for separate treatment into upper and lower ranges with respect to a given dividing point, devices for treating separately each range to vary the relation between the higher and lower pitch tones in that range, and a common control means for adjusting said last mentioned devices in inverse relation so that the higher notes of one range may be made to predominate in that range at the same time the lower notes of the other range may be made to predominate in that range.

3. In a re-editing system, a primary sound record having an imperfect selection recorded thereon, a pick-up device for said record, a secondary record for recording the selection from said primary record in improved condition, a recorder for said secondary record, a pair of parallel high and low pass paths connecting said pick-up device and said recorder, a fixed high pass filter in one of said-paths, a fixed low pass filter in the other of said paths, said high pass filter passing only those notes above a predetermined pitch, said low pass filter passing only those notes below said predetermined pitch, a variable filter connected in said high pass path in series with said high pass fixed filter, a second variable filter in said low pass parallel path in series with said low pass fixed filter and means for operating said variable filters simultaneously in inverse relation to increase the brilliance of the notes in the high pass path while decreasing the brilliance of the notes in the low pass path and vice versa.

4. In a re-editing system, a first sound record having a selection recorded thereon, a pick-up device receiving energy from said record, a recording device fed by said pick-up device, a second sound record fed by said recording device, means between said devices for separating the transmitted energy into upper and lower frequency ranges, a separate filter means for independently controlling the relative transmission of different frequencies in each said ranges and means to simultaneously adjust both of said filter means for varying the tonal characteristics of the transmitted energy.

5. In a sound record system, a pick-up device for picking up a source of sound energy, a translating device fed by said pick-up device, means between said devices for separating said energy into upper and lower frequency ranges, separate filter devices. for independently controlling the relative transmission of higher and lower frequencies in each of said ranges and a common control means for simultaneously adjusting said filter devices in inverse relation.

6. In a sound record system, a pick-up device for picking up a source of sound energy, a trans 

